


This Love of Ours Could be Fate (Or It Could Be A Fire That Burns All)

by Yukikosnow139



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anxiety Attacks, BAMF!Yuuri, M/M, Suicide Attempt, Will update tags, Witch!Yuuri, Yuuri is a damsel in distress, dragon!viktor, not for long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-10-13 23:23:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10524087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yukikosnow139/pseuds/Yukikosnow139
Summary: Katsuki Yuuri wanted a simple life.Sadly he was born with the snake in him, a witch in a country with a king who wanted witches dead.A change in fate has his path altered and he finds that he must quickly adjust or risk not only the death of himself, but of the king of Dragons, Viktor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Attempted suicide, Anxiety, possible non-con. 
> 
> \------See end note. 
> 
> Please treat me gently. I'm excited to post this as it has been swimming in my head for week.

**Yuuri**

 

My mother is crying. Silent tears stream down her round cheeks and trickle into the brown dirt underneath her feet. My father cannot look me in the eye, he’s leaning heavily on my mother as if any moment he will collapse. Her bright red dress and his black suit look anything but festive as they stand in the front of the crowd. In fact half of the crowd looks as if they want to protest what is to happen. No one does anything despite their emotions clearly displayed on their faces. I want them to do something, anything at all to stop what is going on. I want Takeshi or even Minako to start some type of revolt. But that is my selfish desire and they will not. They cannot. If they do it could be their daughter, their son, their wife, their husband that is placed in the same ceremonial palanquin I sit in now. I suppose this is better than one of the triplets, who are teary eyes as they clutch to Yuuko, being chosen for this position.

Three knells and suddenly my family, my friend, my whole village disappear behind the grass flap. The palanquin jerks, startling me forward before settling down into gentle rocks as the people below move. I bite my lip, hands twisting in the nicest material our village could afford; loose white satin for my pants, easily removable, and a transparent blouse. I twist uncomfortably in my chair, the cushion feeling as if it was made of bamboo instead of grass and fur. The palanquin jerks once again, my head jerks forward and with it faux gold circlet falls off. The circlet my mother gave me for good luck lays in my lap, staring back at me with the same dead silence I had been met with earlier. I reach for it, only to stare as I notice my hand is trembling, tears threaten to fall as I clutch at the last piece of my family.

_I am not good enough, I never am._

_Not even when I have tried and tried again and again._

_I will never be good enough._

A familiar tune is carried on the wind, blowing in through the slits of the wooden walls. A tune heard just a year ago, the gentle humming and words slide as my grip on the circlet tightens. I risk a glance back, twisting to peer out the small box behind my back. In the distance, getting smaller as I'm lead out the villages I see the crowd holding hands. Choking on tears, I clutch the circlet to my lips. Misery, cold as it is sickening, is swirling in inky blue as the village gets smaller and with it the words.

By the time we are out of my village the sun in high in the sky, tears are still falling, and the circlet is dull.

Today is my wedding day,

the day I die,

And the day my village sang a parting song used for the dead.

* * *

 

We are three miles from the edge of the village when we stop. It's a break for the ones carrying my prison box and a ‘break’ for myself. I decline the hand that is offered to me as I step out of the small box; I won't take the hand of someone leading me to my death. I find myself observing my surroundings; the worn dirt path stretches onwards in both directions, worn with years of use. Sweat builds as I soak up the sun, summer is truly here without a trace of fluffy white clouds or the slightest breeze.  I can see heat rolling off the ground, even in the shadow patches below the trees; the palanquin bearers fan themselves underneath the shade, talking in low mutters as they take sips from their flask. The guards, there for my benefit (I roll my eyes),  are no better. I feel a little vindictive pleasure tug at my face as I note they can’t do much to relieve the heat without taking off layers of armour. They are lax, one shoves another as they joke about something I cannot hear.

This is the time to escape, I think. The guards would have a hard time catching me if I run as fast as I can, I _am_ wearing the lightest clothing. They probably would not even notice I was gone until they turned back to me. They have no concern for a magic user whose powers are bound. A mistake, if not for the weight of my family and friend’s lives at hand. However, I feel the niggle of determination dig; I can get away, away and find someone to undo my magic and be back to save my family.

Anticipation builds, the jittery bugs crawl in my stomach as I ready myself to run. My legs are bent, prepared to take off. Just as I turn, one foot half an inch from the ground, a guard grabs my arm in light grip.

“Hnhg!” I let out a gasp at the surprise move.

Fear coils, tight and hammering.

 

 _I’m sorry, I wasn’t going to do anything. Don’t hit me, don’t kill me._ Fears from stories of guards stroke the darkness of death into my heart.

“Mister Katsuki, it is time to go,” The guard’s voice rumbles, a bored expression beneath his helmet. I believe he is the captain of this squad.

I manage a nod, throat bobbing from the weight of fear and relief I swallow. He guides me back into my mobile prison, I can’t find it in myself to voice my complaint as he loads me into it like a lady. My shoulders sag, I feel as if bags of rice have replaced my bones.

The palanquin is lifted once again and the journey continues.

A sob breaks past my lifts and I lift my hands to cover them.

I cannot escape my destination; my magic is bound and the heads of my loved ones weigh me down as if a thousand wooden dolls sit at the end of the shackle.

* * *

 

_“I feel bad for him. He’s has only reached his 19th summer this year.”_

_“It’s too bad he was born with a snake in him.”_

_“But still to die by-”_

_“Shush, it’s the fate of all born with snakes and foxes in them.”_  

They are silent, instead the crickets talk.

* * *

 

Dawn has barely broken when I wake next, I peak out to see that we have stopped along a mountain ridge. The path that we are on is wide enough that the palanquin can be placed down and still enough room for two guards to stay on horses next to it. I can see the orange and pink streaked sky as I open the flap to get a look; we are far from my village, all there is is rolls of land that consumed the horizon.

The murmur of the guards draw my attention, the majority of them are clustered together and not paying me any attention.

“Do we go on, Captain?”

“The King has ordered us to drop him off at the cave, but the path narrows considerably after this turn. It would be best to drop him off as far as we can,” The captain says.

“The captain and I shall guide him to the cave,” A guard told them, most likely the vice-captain.

Their conversation trails in lower levels and I can no longer hear them, though it is not like I care to listen. The heavy thump of my heart is in my ears, loud enough that even if I was afraid it would come out of my ears. My breath is heavy as my chest constricts as if the snake they say is in me curls around my heart. The reality of the situation is hitting me; I am to truly be a sacrifice. I am going to die in a few hours, maybe more if I am lucky, and it was all due to being born with the cursed snake curled at my ankle. I look towards the horizon, most of the pink has faded away and the blue is starting to show.

 _This is my last dawn_ , I think.

I look to the edge of ridge; it would be a far drop, minutes, maybe less, of falling. Yet, the outcome was the same if I stayed where I am. They both resulted in death, what type I didn’t know; it could be a quick one, with falling and then nothing or it could be a long one, the drop going on forever with me lying at the ground gasping for breath after hundreds of bones shatter.

 _It would be my own_ , I rationalize.

My own way to go out, my choice. The guards would probably report it as it is, but I doubt the King would believe it. After all, the guards outnumber me eight to one and are supposedly much stronger than a witch without magic. He would most likely believe that the guards had an accident and tried to cover it up.

My feet are moving before I realize what I am doing, a quick glance at the guards show them occupied still. I can do this, I chant to myself.  I am out of the palanquin in less than a minute, my breath held as I cautiously make it to around the box and towards the edge.

“Escape!” I am almost there, maybe 10 feet, when one of the bearers (who I stupidly did not realize were close) shouted.

I am running, legs pumping and heart in overdrive, when the breath is knocked out of me. I struggle with the guard, landing a solid kick into his chest that sends him off me, before I am scrambling up. Another guard appears, they are much quicker in their armour than I anticipated, and he makes a grab for me. I evade his hands, twisting to knock the back of his neck that sends him down.

I am not ready for the arms that grab the back of me, but he is not ready for me to throw him forward and he easily knocks into another guard. I make a break towards the edge, close enough that my foot is half way off the ridge, when arms grab me from behind. This time I am flailing, arms trying to break free from the guy’s grip and feet kicking. I am pulled backwards and a desperate sob escapes my lips, I throw my head back with desperation to try knock the guy out, but I do not succeed. Another guard has appeared and I see the sun happily lighting the world before it is replaced by nothing.

* * *

 

I wake with the steady breathing of something, something that is probably large as I can feel gentle puffs that ruffle my hair. I struggle to see or to make out anything, but my vision is blurry just like how my head feels as if the world is spinning. Parts come to me as my visions does, piece by piece but rather quickly.

I see the rough edges of rock, old and jagged from who-knew long ago when the cave was formed at the same time I remember being knocked out by a guard. The cave is dim, but enough light is filtering through that it looks to be mid afternoon.

As if hands wrapped around my throat I could not breathe. I gasped, trying to get anything in, my heart hammered and stuttered all at once. I almost felt as if  the shadows were trying to take my breath as they seemed to lengthen with each gasp I made. The pressure in my throat increased, building and building, and suddenly it disappeared. Instead I felt as if I was floating, light as distant as I vaguely felt my chest expand and contract as air went in.

My hair ruffled when a warm gust of wind hit me, I turned my head automatically. I truly felt as if I was simply watching as someone controls my body. I squinted as I scanned the cave, but stopped at the large body to the right of where I was sitting.

Slitted light blue eyes stared right at me, unblinking and watching with what seemed to be interest. They’re body was huge, with what seemed to be black scales all over the body.They’re face was long and pointed, with curved horns on their head. I look back into their eyes.

My body flushes and suddenly I feel too hot, warmth floods the pit of my stomach. Something is itching beneath my skin and I can’t tell what it is, but it sends more scorching warmth through me. My hand is reaching out and suddenly a paler hand is pulling me forward. The dragon is no longer there, instead a man who radiates warmth in embracing me. I feel safe in his arms, but the warmth is only making me hotter; I can tell that the other man feels it too, his hand is roaming and pulling me closer. I should be mortified and push the man away but I find my own hands pulling him closer. Hot puffs of breath hit my neck and I arch it to the side, exposing my neck. He sniffs it and something wet licks a long strip along my skin, I moan. I don’t understand how I went from fear to this heat, but I cannot focus on that. The heat is unbearable and I’m tugging at my clothes, wanting, _needing_ , to get them off. Which is hard as the man’s hands keep knocking my hands away so he can lace his fingers with mine.

Swiftly I knock him down, straddling his naked waist, I look down and duly note that his eyes are just as blue as the dragon’s but his hair is like the silver of a fox. However I am distracted as another roll of heat hits me and he flips me over. This time my ass in right into his crotch and he is rutting against me,  sniffing at my neck again. Pleasure, warm and intense, builds up as I let out a groan of pleasure. And then abruptly he bites down on me and I am lost to a sea of pleasure.

* * *

 

I wake up, pained and nauseous.

The pain radiates from my back as well as my hips, not to mention my neck that feels as if it had been chewed up. I shift and the arms, which I now notice, tightens around me before loosening. I stiffen, confusion running high as I try to be as still as possible and recall the events of the day before.

They come back, but as I recall it almost feels as if I was merely a spectator that was enjoying it. I had no control of my actions, but I remember _wanting_ it so bad that I felt as if I would die. And I remember his own words of need in the cave as he held onto me and I to him. Heat, from embarrassment, stained my cheeks red.

I could not believe what I did with him, just hours after trying to kill myself. But I remember how safe I felt after the stress of my possible death, though it did nothing to help me.  As I remembered the reason I did come to the cave I found my breath stuttering to a stop, my heart constricting in that familiar way. I had been sent here to die, yet I did not see anyone or thing that was suppose to kill me. Or marry me if I was to go with the reason I was chosen as a sacrifice.  My mind started to race as I realized this and I felt excitement, so similar to anxiety, spike up. There was a chance I could escape, the men who brought me here would not know that I was still alive. And my family would be safe.

The gentle puff against my neck reminded me that I was still in the arms of the silver haired man. I quietly and gently moved out of his arms, hissing softly when pain shot even further up my body. I moved as fast as I was able to without waking up the other man, I shoved my clothes, if they could be called that, on.

I chanced one last glance behind me, to the sleeping man, but determination had me straightening my spine and walking into the new morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this took a long time. BUT!!! This is the longest chapter I've ever written. 
> 
>  
> 
> Warning: Panic attack (and it did cause me to almost have one, so caution). 
> 
>  
> 
> I'm posting this late so I'll add more later on when I'm actually not half asleep.

**Yuuri**

  


“If you are ever lost, look to the sky and follow the Lion to lead you back home.”

 

I remember my mother use to tell me that when I had to leave the village for small amounts of time. The village sat right beneath the stars after all, it was a guiding point for all travelers and villagers. Once I had left my village to study magic under the Tea Rose Witch when I was ten, just as I was coming into my magic, and her home was the next village over. It was only as I returned that I realized how true my mother’s words had been; away from the village’s light, surrounded only by the soft chips of crickets and fall night, the sky had been lit with millions specks of light. Above the land, slightly west, sat a cluster of stars that formed the lion constellation and it lead me home. Back into the warmth of a friendly village, smiles and laughs, maybe even a kiss on the cheek.

 

Now, however, there was not a speck of stars in the sky. The sun was the only celestial body that beat downs harsh beams onto the land. Far away was I from friendly faces, ones that would nod their heads in greeting, maybe even call out a hello. I was in a land that rolled on and on, far into the horizon with no beacon in sight.

 

I still only had the thin clothes I had been given, and while they did help with the heat, it did nothing to protect myself from the harsh light. My skin felt as if it was on fire, my shoulders and arms prickled with pain. More than ever did I wish that my magic wasn’t bound, at least then I could cast a simple sun block charm. The thought had me pausing in the middle of the dirt path, I felt the familiar sting of tears as the thought truly hit me.

 

My magic, something that is the very essence of myself, is locked away so tightly that I can’t even feel the tiniest sprinkle of it. I am scared, I have never not had my magic; it has always been with me. My first memory was of a warm energy that cradled my body as I slowly faded into sleep and after that my magic has always been at the tip of my fingers. It was an underground river, a gentle hum beneath the surface. Yet, now I cannot even feel a drop of it; I am cold inside even as my skin is burned.

 

_I am alone. My magic is gone._

_Alone._

_Alone._

 

Tears blur my vision, the world spins round and round and blurs together. Trees, grass, sapphire sky blend and stretch in a ugly perception; It’s hard to breathe, I take gasping breaths as I will air into my lungs. Every mouthful I take, every breath feels as if twice the amount is being lost. Weak, my legs are weak. My arms, numb. And I find myself falling onto the ground.

 

I take gasping breaths, fisting my shirt and scratching at my throat; squeeze, I squeeze eyes shut. Focus, I need to focus; I cannot pass out here, but it is hard to get my breathing under control. My hands are like a trembling leaf in the wind, each shuddered breath I take is uneven and my head is spinning even more.

 

_Focus!_

  


I can’t. It is impossible, I cannot breath, I cannot focus. Tears are falling, hands shaking, heart stuttering. Once again, in less than a complete sun and moon cycle, I’m falling into darkness.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_My village is a flurry of activity, the atmosphere is a strange combination of anxious and excited at the same time; activity is carried out with a bounce is half of the villager’s steps, while their shoulders and body language is tense. I can see Granny Tanaka and her grandson, Keigo furiously making food while two women transport dishes across the village. The sun is high above the sakura trees, casting gentle warmth as petals fall all around and are soon trampled by the feet of busy people._

 

_I only get a glance at the village, through the window on the second floor of my family’s inn, before my mother is calling me. She most likely wants the towels that I had been asked to grab, but I notice the urgency in her voice. I shouldn’t be worried, it’s a busy time with capital officials coming into their village without any warning, but my mother has never been easily flustered by high ranking people. The floor lets out a high pitched creak as my feet hurriedly  make it across the hall, it has to be replaced soon and I make a mental note to get Takeshi to look at it as I’m pretty sure my magic won’t be able to replace it. I’ve never been that good at household charms anyways._

 

_I’m not even halfway down the stairs when my sister runs into me and nearly tumbles down the stairs, nearly as I instinctively send magic out to stop her from falling that eaves her floating in the air for half a second before her feet gently sit on the steps._

 

_“Yuuri! Hurry up you squirt, we can’t keep the officials waiting,” Mari says, pulling at my shoulders as she ushers me down the stairs. I blink as she doesn’t even say a word about my use of magic (apparently it feels strange to non-magic users, Mari describes it as a weirdly warm and cold presence passing through her)._

 

_“Mari, I’m sure they won’t die in the next few seconds without any towels,” I deadpan, eyebrows raised even as I make my way down._

 

_“What? Never mind, that’s not why they want you. They want to see your magic!” Mari exclaims._

 

_“What?! Why?” I ask. My heart is starting to beat fast, tightening in ways that make it hard to breath._

 

_“They asked for any magic users in the village, they’re curious about magic. Seems there’s not a lot of magic users in the capital. And you’re our only magic user so…” Mari trails off, but I know what she’s implying._

 

_“I can’t do it. Mari,” I protest. I feel sick even thinking about the idea of strange eyes watching me, judging me as I perform one of my only loves in the world._

 

_We stop just outside the room the officials are in, their laughter is easy to hear bouncing past the paper doors and into the hallway. The hairs on my arms and neck stand, my gut clenches and I feel an electric shock go through my body. It’s my magic. My magic is digging claws into my gut, squeezing them in ways that has me clamping a hand over my mouth._

 

_“Yuuri? Shit, Yuuri if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to,” Mari says. She’s worried, something I doesn’t hear often in her voice._

 

_I don’t have a chance to respond, the door slides open and my mother is staring there. Her laugh lines are obvious, eyes crinkled around the edges and mouth still in a smile. The smile dies as she sees me, it’s replaced by worry as she takes in my form. She knows I get nervous around strangers, that I rarely even show my magic to the other villagers. I can see her about to tell me that she only needed the towels, she is going to close the door and apologize to the officials, that her son is sick and can’t show them a bit of magic._

 

_I don’t give her the chance, I ignore the strong cramp that comes from my frazzled magic and step into the room with a false smile. All eyes are on me immediately and bile rises in my throat as my heart hammers out of my chest, I push both out of mind and give a bow that is respectfully low and shallow at the same time. I don’t want to be useless, I don’t want my anxiety to be something that holds me back._

 

 _‘_ **_Don’t panic. Breathe. This is only a moment in your life, you have survived and will survive again. You are stronger than your fears.’_ **

 

_I straighten up, a degree more calmer as I repeat my mantra and keep repeating it. My magic is still coiled strongly, dragging claws in my gut, but I steadily ignore it._

 

_“I am Katsuki Yuuri. My mother told me you wanted to see some magic?” I question._

 

_I don’t look around the room, I fear that my anxiety will spike if I see all the faces peering at me. Instead, I take to looking at the painting of a western dragon that hangs on the mantle in the back of the room. It’s blue eyes stare at me with such serenity that I relax a fraction more, it’s sleek body is painted across the cloth in a vivid silver color that reminds me of a fox I had seen as a child. It stands proudly facing whoever looks at it, its enormous body sleek like the tabby cat that use to hang around the village’s peach tree._

 

_“If you would show us! My companions and I have never seen a witch use magic so close before. Anything would be appreciated,” one of the men said._

 

_I breathed a bit more evenly, if they had never seen magic so close then there was nothing to compare me to.  I nodded, managing a smile and was able to briefly make eye contact with the man in the middle, something in his gaze has me quickly moving my eyes back to the dragon. The dragon’s eyes are much warmer than the cold glint I had seen in the man’s eyes, something that was devoid of any positive feeling and had me fighting my heart rate to slow again._

 

 _Gently, so gentle it’s as if I’m holding a feather on the tip of my finger, I gather my magic into my hands. A pool of the moon in the night-sky magic gather in my left hand, wisp of my aura released as my magic is released. I struggle to gather a decent amount, my magic is tugging insistently in denial. I find myself frowning. This has never happened, my magic usually loves to come out and play. I tug hard, a yank that is a bit too strong, and my magic is brilliantly released in a wave that has the room darken. A void, dark that I can’t even_ **_feel_ ** _my fingers, consumes the room. It’s a moment, shorter than two blinks, but it has the men screaming in such high pitched voices that I would have thought it was the triplets._

 

 _Just as suddenly as it started, light fills the room again and I make eye contact with the creepy man. His eyes, blacker than the void, match the same cruel smile he has upon his face; it’s a turn of his lips that look more like a smirk, but it’s the_ **_energy_ ** _that his eyes gleam with that scare me. I don’t stick around, all too suddenly I can feel my hands shake with such ferocity that I’m surprised hey don’t fall off. I run past my parents and sister, I hear them exclaim something, but my my heart is hammering too hard._

 

_When I make it to my room I bury myself underneath my blankets and hold myself._

 

 _‘_ **_Don’t panic. Breathe. This is only a moment in your life, you have survived and will survive again. You are stronger than your fears.’_ **

 

_I still feel his eyes on me._

  
  
  
  
  
  


 

 

_It is a week later. Life has return to normal; I practice my magic in my room and had made a short trip to the Tea Rose Witch to ask her if she knew anything about what had happened a week ago. She didn’t have a clue and we ended up simply having a chat over some tea before I had to leave. Mari and my mother both assured me that the officials were quite happy with my magical display and had even given the inn 60 Leafs more than was the required amount, that was enough to buy at least three months supply of medium-high level rice plus half a pound of mid-grade meat._

 

_I had smiled and ignored the twist in my chest as I thought of the capital officials. I still couldn’t shake those dark eyes that had latched onto me, but I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to rain on the village’s celebration. All week celebration had been plentiful in ways of parties that left half the town drunk and the other half too tired to complain. Even the Sakura blossoms seem to be in bloom brighter than before._

 

_I perk up as I hear the town center’s bell ring four times to alert that the village’s attention was needed. I drop the bucket I had been carrying into the house and wipe my forehead of the sweat that had been forming. The walk to the town’s center is short, my home wasn’t too far; the town center was a simple courtyard where a giant peach tree grew, it had houses that surrounded it from a good distance and to the right of it was the village’s council’s office. My house was located further up the dirt path that lead through the village, it had to be with the space it needed so tourist could stay the night._

 

_I enter the town center, it’s already crowded with curious villagers that murmur to each other in ways that wash against me like rough water. There’s a nervous energy that is filtering around the center and I think it has to do with a court official and three guards standing at the head of the crowd. The official is dressed in a way that look foreign; she has a robin blue dress that cuts at the bottom of her hips and her legs are covered in what almost looks like white tights, but much thicker. The back of the dress has a white tail-looking cloth that hangs until the ground.  The dress is loose and off the shoulders, but she has a white shawl with the capital’s crest upon it. Her black hair is done up in a bun that pulls all her hair back and is adorned in millions of sparkles that shine brightly in the sun._

 

_I find myself blinking at the strange attire, we still used kimono around the village for formal events. The woman clears her throat and like magic (I wonder if she is a magic user) the crowd goes silent._

 

_“In recent times, the Royal Seer has seen that the gods have grown angry with our kingdom. The sudden influence in drought and disasters are the gods’ rage; it seems that they are angry with us for not giving more prestige to the witches in our country. The King is deeply apologetic and has decided that each of the witches will be given the honor of being a tribute to their local gods,” the woman paused as she gazed into the crowd. Her gaze found mine and I was shocked to see the same look in her eyes as the guy from last week._

 

_A cold feeling enveloped me._

 

_“In a month’s time Katsuki Yuuri shall be offered to the god that resides in one of the mountain ranges. Congratulations Mr. Katsuki on this huge honor, I have heard of your powerful magic and am sure the god shall be pleased.”_

 

_I am plunged into ice cold water, my lungs burn with the need to breathe in air that is intent on choking me. Ice forms inside, spreading up my spine, entering my vision that sends it into a crystallized version of the world. The woman maintains eye contact and I see her lips curl further up. I hear a crack._

 

_“In preparation of this, Mr. Katsuki will be guarded by three knights and have his magic bound on the moonless night. We want the god to be able to unlock the magic themselves, like a bride on her wedding night,” the last sentences is said cruelly, mockingly._

 

_A crack._

 

_A splinter in the world._

 

_My world shatters._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

I wake up in bits; my eyes open and staring into the dotted sky with confusion, then I take a gasping breath as I hungrily consume the air that my lungs seemed to have not been able to get in.  My heart is hammering with the same speed as it had been on that day in what seemed like a lifetime, but was only a few months.

 

 _‘Was my magic trying to warn me?’_ I think, though I loose the thought as soon as it appears in my mind.

 

It takes me a moment to process the fact that it is night and when I do I am scrambling up (ignoring the painful stinging from the sun and pain that still throbs through my hips and spine) to see the stars. The silver lights dutifully dot the sky in an ocean of specks, a cluster here and there, with the moon less than a full circle emerging from the darkness. I feverently search the sky, looking for anything that can tell me how far I am from my home; I slump in a state of shock and relief as I realize that the Lion is not visible in the sky.

 

I am well and truly in a foreign land, I don’t recognize many of the stars and the few that I do indicate that I have to be somewhere in an eastern area. I am far from my home, that much I am certain of; the question remains of where I am. The land is very similar to my home, with the exception that I had been able to see the mountains and from what I remember when the sun was shining, this land has a flat geography.

 

A laugh bubbles in my throat, forcing it’s way out into a quietly rough chuckle that sounds a bit crazed to my ears. My shoulders feel loose as I realize that I am still alive, alive and far away from a country that wants me dead. The King does not know I am still alive, laughing beneath  strange stars; no one knows that I am alive. The humor leaves my body as quickly as it came; my family does not know I’m alive and are probably mourning. Instinctively I want to go back, I want to show them they don’t have to mourn as I’m still alive, but I shake the thoughts off. If I go back I am as good as dead, the word will surely get out that I am back and not only will I be punished, but most likely my family as well.

 

It is better if I let them mourn, they had prepared for this day for weeks; it would hurt them if I was to suddenly come back and then to actually be executed, I wouldn’t be able to stand if my family got injured because of me. I rather they mourn and move on, afterall they still have another child (Mari) to dote on and shower in affection.

 

I am just Yuuri. I smile bitterly as another thought comes into my mind; I am no longer Witch Yuuri of Hasetsu village, but Yuuri, runaway convict (for I’m sure that’s what they would label me) with no powers. A Yuuri with no magic, no money, and no family ties. I could feel my hands start to shake, mind growing woozy as I realized I had no actual way of surviving. How was I supposed to eat if I had no money?

 

_Steal._

 

I tried to dismiss the idea as soon as it popped into my mind; it was wrong to steal, even if it was to survive. For all I knew I could be stealing another person’s source of life and I couldn't do that for my own selfish needs. My breathing was becoming shallow, I could feel the familiar burn of panic coursing through my body.

 

_‘Don’t panic. Breathe. This is only a moment in your life, you have survived and will survive again. You are stronger than your fears.’_

 

I repeated my mantra, counting with my fingers as I did so until I eventually felt my body relax in a way that had my bones feel like stone.  A cold breeze, strange with the summer season, sends chills down my body and remind me I am still in my ‘ceremonial’ clothes and they’re just as unconcealing as they were when I was forced into them. If I wanted to survive I was going to need to get new clothes and find out exactly where I was, as well as to find out _how_ I was going to do those things.

 

I was going to rebuild my world.

* * *

 

_Five Years Later…_

 

I close up the shop with a turn of my key in the door, checking once more to make sure that the windows are locked as well. The town I’m in is safe, but one can never be too careful. The shop is a quaint little thing, only one story that fits an entrance hall a small space for plants to grow and a back room that I use to teach in. The back room is big enough to have enough space that two adults and up to five children can freely dance in; I use the room for that purpose. When I had first opened the shop up it was simply a plant nursery, but I found that I couldn’t leave behind my passion and I had been convinced to use the back room as a studio and to even take in some of the local children.

 

I would never have dreamed of teaching anyone, but a lot has changed in the five years since I started my new life. Not to mention children were much easier to teach and willing to actually listen and not judge as hard as an adult. In Detroit I was simply Teacher Yuuri, a dance teacher and part timer at Ciao Ciao’s Garden, a magical garden that had plants ranging from household food items to magical enhancers. When I first started at the shop it was hard, being around magic that I had no access to made it hard to move on. However, it also helped; I was able to have some type of magic in my life and some was better than none at all, not to mention the shop was another way for me to search for ways to unbind my magic. Plants had so many wonderful properties that I was hoping to find some way to undo it with a potion.

 

I shook my head and made my way down the road, passing brick buildings as I did so; the buildings here were made of brick and a thing called cement that had me shocked when I had first stumbled into the village. It was so different from Hasetsu, but that made it easier to adjust to. I saw the small cafe I was meeting my roommate and best friend at; it was a cute little place with chairs outside and done up in  pastel pink and blue. The tables outside had umbrellas that were stripped either of the colors and I knew the inside was sleek with polished oak wood.

 

“Yuuurrrriiii~” Phichit exclaims my name as if he hadn’t seen me in years and I shake my head at him.

 

I send a small wave to him as I walk towards him. I had met Phichit nearly four years ago; I had been street dancing for money when he and Ciao Ciao passed by, the half fairy had felt a pull (his own words) towards me and started to follow me. He nearly ended up with a knife in his side when he snuck up on me (after stalking me for a few weeks) and I had been so startled that I just thrusted the knife without thinking. It was partially my guilty conscious and partially a desire to have a friend (after months of being by myself) that I found myself agreeing to travel with Phichit and Ciao Ciao (a nickname as he wouldn’t tell me his actual name). It took a while (and numerous times that he saved my life)  for me to completely trust Phichit and partially trust Ciao Ciao, and I told Phichit what exactly had happened to me (making him promise on his magic to not tell anyone). He had been pissed, a storm ended up raging, and had promised to try find a way to undo my magic. I think it was that moment I realized that I had really made an amazing friend. So when we moved to Detroit, we opened up a shop (in Ciao Ciao’s name as he was the only legal citizen of the country of Xing United) and started looking for ways to unbind my magic.

 

We still haven’t found a way.

 

“You’re going to spill your tea,” I tell him amusedly as I sit down.

 

His left hand is holding the blue tea cup in a way that the liquid is close to becoming a waterfall. And I doubt I would hear the end of it from him if he spilled on his new clothes (“It  ruined several other outfits in my wardrobe, Yuuri.” Phichit had whined when he spilled cake on his robes).

 

“Not going to happen,” Phichit waves my observation away, his thistle color sleeve nearly getting caught at the edge of the table. I hear the small clink of his multicolor stone bracelet as his hand moves

 

I let out a hum, not saying anything as I take a sip of the black tea Phichit had ordered me; the warmth of the liquid travels throughout my body and I sigh in delight. This autumn is much colder than the one before and I’ve found that even with my long sleeves that cover up to my wrist and blue robe, I grow cold easily. I have a suspicion it also has to do with my magic, but I won’t think about it.

 

“Ciao Ciao sent a letter, looks like he’s gonna be held up in Philly a little while longer,” Phichit flippantly tells me.

 

It is not an unusual occurrence and I nod, we have more time to play around in the shop before we have to go back to hiding our research. It’s not that i don’t trust Ciao Ciao, but the some of the things we have been researching are not exactly legal or safe. At least if we get caught Ciao Ciao will truly have had no knowledge of what had been happening.

 

Phichit doesn’t say anything else, he’s content to simply sip at his tea and read through a gossip magazine; the tea dates that we’ve had had been plentiful and both of us are use to simply sitting and not talking unless to point something out. My eyes roam the street, people walk by every now and then, but the road is pretty quiet. My eyes move to the newspaper that’s sitting at our table and I pick it up.

 

In the back there’s a short article on recent dragon attacks on villages; dragons have been getting more aggressive recently and people are not too sure why. The article goes onto say how no one can seem to get in contact with the current Dragon King for a comment, which is starting to worry the Xing United and other counties. I have a brief flash to five years ago; a body pressed against mine, heat pooling in my groin, bruising kisses, bright blue eyes that stare into my soul-

 

I shake my head and hurriedly flip the paper to the front, I had told myself not to think of that night. Whatever had happened was not something I wanted to remember, even if I remember wanting it at that moment. I’ve already reasoned it had something to do with the stress of that day; I don’t even want to think who that man had been. I focus back on the paper.

 

The front page has me frozen as I look at it:

 

**SUN COUNTRY CLOSES ITS DOORS!**

**_We have all been waiting for something to happen, but we are truly shocked to learn that the Sun country has closed its doors to any foreigners. This decision has come after rumors surface that the King Leroy has recently been targeting witches and other magical beings. The rumors accuse the King of staring what may as well be a witch hunt; this is particularly troubling as a little more than half the world is made up of magical beings. If the rumors are true (and they seem to be with the latest policy) then this could mean international trouble for the Sun Kingdom. The King’s media liaison has assured the public that the closed door policy is simply a way to control the influence of foreign cultures as recent riots have broken out due to culture clashes (see page 14 for more on these riots)._ **

**_With the closed door policy it will be hard to see what exactly is the truth, but we shall dig to find the truth._ **

  


I stare at the short article (strange for a front page story) and feel my gut churn; something is happening in my home country and I can’t see it as a good thing. Not when the King is hunting magical beings (and I know there’s truth to the rumors), when I was one of those that had been first targeted. I don’t want to get involved, the very idea of getting involve has my hands shaking in ways they have not in a while. If I’m found, if anyone finds out who I am, I know I’ll have to leave my home (and Detroit really feels like it). But I can’t simply do nothing, not when it involves a country where my family still lives. But what can I do? A letter to a government official?

 

I nearly laugh at that thought; a mere letter isn’t going to get an important official to act. But it’s the only thing I can think of, the only thing that has the possibility to succeed. My hands are shaking, but I take a calming breath. This is the least I can do for being a coward.

 

“Hey, Yuuri check this guy’s outfit out!” Phichit exclaims, a giggle falling past his lips and is the perfect distraction.

 

I allow myself to be distracted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: (I'm pretty sure) We get a look at Viktors life!
> 
> Please comment, kudo, share, or bookmark.

**Author's Note:**

> I did not tag the last scene due to both consenting in a rather strange way that will be explained. 
> 
> Please comment or hit the kudos button!
> 
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